Process for the recovery of cocos fibers



Patented Oct. 18, 1932 neon :11.61), or KARLsnuHE, GERMANY PROCESS FOR-THE RECOVERY OF COCOS FIBERS No Drawing. Application filed March 25,1929, Serial Ne. 349,909,-an'd in Germany March 27, 1928.

The cocoanut fibers usually obtainable in the trade are, as is wellknown, unsuitable for mechanical spinning in technical industrialestablishments on account of their hardness 5 and small suppleness.

N ow it has been found that such fibers can be materially improved bytreatment. with alkaline liquids at raised temperatures preferably attemperatures over 100 for eX-' v ample from 1:20 to 150 (3., rapidlyandat relatively small cost so that they become soft and elastic whileretaining their breaking or. tearing strength, thus being made sultablestances. The alkaline liquids employed may. after use be conveyed toanother container and after suitable regeneration for example,

by adding'sufiicient alkali to bring the solu- 39 tion up to 8%, andheating be used again, enabling thereby the cost of the process to befurther considerably reduced.

It has already been proposed to treat the fiber padding of cocoanutswith hot dilute solutions for the recovery of the fibers. In thistreatment, however, the fiber. does not become soft because the alkalipresent is used to open up thecork-like bedding layer of the fiberpadding in largequantities and is thus rendered useless for softeningthe liberated fiber so as to make it suitable for spinning.

In accordance with this invention the novel discovery of the softeningeffect of alkaline liquids utilized in that already, isolated fi iers i.e., fibers freed from thebedding substance referred to and if need bealso subjected to a cleaning process are treated with alkaline liquidsin order thereby-to improve the fibers more especially for spinningbymachinery.

The isolation of the fiber from the bedding substance thereof may beeffected by means of various methods for instance by a preliminarydipping ef t1 e shell of the cocoanut in hot water while maintaining itin motion and thereafter subjecting it to a mechanical treat- '1 dingsubstances to the action of a weak alkaline solution maintained at ate1nperature above 100 C. in a closed container, for a period of lessthan one hour.

2. The process of preparing soft, supple, spinnable cocoanut fibers asdefined in claim 1 in which the alkaline solution used is caustic sodaand the time of treatment in the closed container is substantiallytwenty mi.nutes.

3. The process of preparing soft, supple, spinnable cocoanut fiberswhich includes, subjecting hard, raw fibers freed from beddingsubstances to the action of an alkaline solution of Etc 3% strengthmaintained at a temperature above C. in a closed container, for a periodof less than one hour.

'4. The process of preparing soft, supple,

spinnable cocoanut fibers which includes subjecting hard, raw fibersfreed from bedding substances to the action of a weak alkaline solutionmaintained at a temperature of C. to C. in a closed container.

5. The process of preparing soft, supple, spinnable cocoanut fiberswhich includes, subjecting hard, raw fibers freed from beddingsubstances to the action of an alkaline solution of 2 to 3% strengthmaintained at a temperature of 120 to 150 C. in a closed containerfi 6.The process of preparing soft, supple, spinnable cocoanut fibers whichincludes, subjecting hard, raw fibers freed from bed- 1 ding substancesto the action of a weak alkaline solution maintained at a temperatureabove 100 C. in a closed container and finishing the softened fiber bytreating it with oleaginous finishing substances.

7 The process of preparing soft, supple, v

spinnable cocoanut fibers which includes, subjecting hard, raw fibersfreed from bedding substances to the action of a weak caustic alkalisolution maintained at a temperature above 100 C. in a closed containerand finishing the softened fiber by treating it with oleaginousfinishing substances.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

noon Lon.

